Governor Pritzker Signs Executive Order Assisting Immigrants

Governor, J.B. Pritzker signed an executive order directing the Department of Human Services to coordinate with other state agencies to put together a “Know Your Rights resource sheet.” It will inform immigrants and refugees of their rights and possible opportunities. Pritzker said the sheet would be translated into multiple languages and distributed to communities.

Pritzker pointed out that his own family started in America when Nicholas Pritzker arrived more than a century ago in Chicago, penniless and homeless. He said Illinois stood up for his family back then. “That is in part what drives me to be an advocate, to be a leader on this issue,” he said.

There are 1.8 million immigrants in Illinois, and one in six workers is an immigrant. There are 120,000 immigrant businesses in Illinois. “These are employers, who generate $2.5 billion in business income,” the governor said. “They also pay billions of dollars in federal, state and local taxes.” He pointed out that some 40,000 people in Illinois that were brought to America as small children and have grown up here are still in limbo, thanks to the possible phase out of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

To stress that point, Ana Nino Flores, a civil engineer who works on transportation for Clark-Dietz Inc., pointed out that the program allowed her to get through school and college. “It has allowed me to get a driver’s license, have employment, travel, support my parents, and have a sense of belonging,” she said.

If you want to learn more about your rights as an immigrant in the U.S., contact us today. Our knowledgeable immigration team is standing by to answer your questions, no matter your status in the country.